Towed surface buoy



3, 1956 A. M. NICKERSON, JR 3, 9 ,095

TOWED SURFACE BUOY Filed 0612. 12, 1964 ARCHER M. N/GKERSOMJR.

United States atent 3,291,095 TOWED SURFACE BUQY Archer M. Nickerson, J12, Weyrnouth, Mass., assignor to The Continental @il Company, Ponca City, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 493,164 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-235) This invention relates to a method for determining and controlling the depth of an unmanned, non self-propelled towed, submersible barge, and more particularly, relates to a method of controlling the depth of the barge through the lengthening and shortening of the cable line extending to the barge.

In recent years, the importance and advantages of shipping products (particularly liquid products) via submerged barges towed by a mother vessel has become increasingly evident. In such operations, it is necessary for safety and other reasons to maintain the towed barges at a selected depth. Many valuable and ingenious ways have been proposed for maintaining this depth. For instance, several have proposed mounting self-actuating controls on the barge and others have proposed utilizing surface buoys and the like with supporting lines depending therefrom to maintain the barge depth at the length of the supporting cables. Still others have proposed the taking on and pumping out of ballast. Each of these methods have many known disadvantages. It is also known that a submersible barge towed by a moving vessel will have a tendency to approach a particular level below the water surface depending upon the mother ves sels speed and the length of tow lines. If the barge has a greater specific gravity than that of the medium in which it is submerged, the greater the speed of the towing vehicle, the closer the submerged vehicle will come to the level of the towing vehicle. If the towing vehicle speed approaches zero, the submersible barge will fall to a point immediately below the towing vehicle. It is also apparent that the closer the towed barge is to the mother vessel, the closer it will approach the level of the towing vessel. This invention proposes that a selected level for the submerged vessel be maintained by controlling the length of the towing cable since it is desirable to maintain ship speed constant, and under the varying conditions set forth in assignees copending application of SN. 403,- 165, filed on even date herewith. In operations of this type, large tensions are created in the cable connecting the towing vessel with the submerged barge. Although technically possible, it is economically undesirable to utilize a cable having an electrical transmission capability as it may be necessary to destroy the cable emergencies as explained in the above-mentioned Van der Linde application.

It is an important objective of this invention to provide a method of controlling a barge submerged depth by shortening or lengthening the towing cable via a winch on the mother vessel in response to intelligence indicating the depth of the barge relative to a selected and desirable depth, said intelligence being gained from a surface buoy in electrical communication with the barge.

Another important objective of this invention is to attach a surface buoy to the submerged vessel whereby depth intelligence can be transmitted to the surface via a low tension line and the intelligence radioed to the mother ship where corrective lengthening or shortening of the cable can be made.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a surface buoy equipped with sonar equipment which can detect the depth and location of the submerged barge and transmit this intelligence to the mother ship via surface-to-surface radio.

A further objective of this invention is to provide means for transmitting other intelligence from the submerged barge to the towing vessel, such as water temperature, salinity at barge depth, and information relating to the attitude and trim of the barge.

It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system wherein commands are sent to the barge via surface-to-surface communications between the buoy and the towing vessel.

These and other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following description of one system made in accordance ,7

with the invention as diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the system employed for this invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of representative electric circuitry.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 10 denotes a towing vessel having a winch 12 mounted thereon. A cable 14 extending from the winch has its outer end 15 secured to the nose of the submerged vessel 16 at mounting 18. Attached to the submerged vessel 16 is an instrument housing 20 which includes various electrical-electronic measuring gear 22, 24, 26 and 28. The particular instruments used are not defined since many suitable instruments for gathering and transmitting this intelligence are well known to the art. The instrument 22, for instance, is a depth sensor, the instrument 24 is a salinity tester, the instrument 26 a temperature gauge, and the instrument 28 a servo control for determining the attitude of the fins 16 and stabilizer 32. Each of the instruments respectively has cables 32, 34, 36 and 38 leading to a cable 40, connecting the surface buoy 42 to the barge. The buoy 42 is equipped with a radio transmission and a receiving set of any known design. The set must merely have the capability of transmitting the intelligence from instruments 22 through 28 to the mother ship 10.

In operation, presume that the depth D shown in FIG- URE l, is a pre-selected depth at which it is desired to maintain the barge. Presuming that the depth D increases, the resulting increased depth is detected by instrument 22. This intelligence is immediately transmitted via cable 32 to the buoy 42 and to the mother ship 10 by radio. The cable 14 is hauled in by operation of winch 12, until the instrument 22 reflects the desired depth. Since the salinity and temperature often forewarn of depth changes a skilled operator or an appropriate electrical system at the winch can make the required compensating action.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be a practical and eflicient embodiment of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. The method of controlling the depth of a submerged barge which is towed by a mother vessel, comprising the steps of: mounting a depth sensor on the submerged barge, securing a buoy by an electrical transmission tow line to said barge, transmitting the output of said depth sensor to a said buoy through said line, transmitting said output to said mother ship via radio transmission and altering the length of a tow cable between said barge and said mother vessel in response to the output transmitted.

2. The method of maintaining at a selected level the 3 4 depth of a submerged barge towed by a mother vessel, References fitted by the Examiner lc olmplrisinlgg tile stepds cg: Leaving sail bagg'e via:1 a to; UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 e avi ne en a ac e 0 sai su merge vesse and the other attached to a Winch mounted on said tow- 2,652,550 9/1953 Lash 114-435 X ing vessel, affixing a buoy to said barge, sensing the depth 5 3,012,534 12/1961 Thomas 114-235 of said barge, transmitting from said barge to said buoy 3,018,748 1/1962 Dems et 114*235 X a signal indicative of said depth, transmitting said signal FOREIGN PATENTS from said buoy to said mother ship, and controlling the depth by activating said winch in accordance with said 1275494 10/1961 France" signal to pay out said tow line when said barge is above 10 MILTON BUCHLER Primary Examiner.

said selected level and haul in said line when said barge is below Said selected leveL T. M. BLIX, Assistant Exammer. 

1. THE METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE DEPTH OF A SUBMERGED BARGE WHICH IS TOWED BY A MOTHER VESSEL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: MOUNTING A DEPTH SENSOR ON THE SUBMERGED BARGE, SECURING A BUOY BY AN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION TOW LINE TO SAID BARGE, TRANSMITTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID DEPTH SENSOR TO A SAID BUOY THROUGH SAID LINE, TRANSMITTING SAID OUTPUT TO SAID MOTHER SHIP VIA RADIO TRANSMISSION AND ALTERING THE LENGTH OF A TOW CABLE BETWEEN SAID BARGE AND SAID MOTHER VESSEL IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTPUT TRANSMITTED. 